Page holding device for books



19.54 H. P. BILLINGS 2,692,780

PAGE HOLDING DEVICE FoR BOOKS Filed Jan. 15, 1952 INVENTOR maeev P. BILL/N68,

BY v )7Z77ZmM/5M/ma/2z w mm ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 26, 1954 UNITED sets at am ()FFICE PAGE HOLDING DEVICE FOR BOOKS Harry P. Billings, ienning-ton Gap, Va.

Application January 15, 1952, Serial No. 266,491

ZClaims. 1

This invention relates to page-holding devices for books, and more particularly to animproved page-holding device adapted to be engaged with the covers of a book and being provided with means for holding the pages of the book in open positions.

A main object of th invention is to provide a novel and improved page-holding device for a book which is simple in construction, which is easy to apply to a book, and which is simple to manipulate to release the pages held thereby when it is desired to turn the pages.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved page-holding device for a book which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is neat in appearance, which is compact in size, and which is sturdy in construction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following dcscription and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a'plan view ofan improved pageholding device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the pageholding device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top view of the page-holding device of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional detail view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of a book and illustrating the employment of the improved page-holding device of Figures 1 to 4 thereon for holding the pages of the book in open position.

Referring to the drawings, the page-holding device comprises an L-shaped plate member H formed of suitable stifi fiat stock such as relatively stiiT sheet metal, sheet plastic or similar material, the plate member including a long leg I2 and a short leg IS. The long leg I2 of the member I I has spaced side arms I3, I3 projecting from the free end thereof, the arms being smoothly tapered at their side edges to define points I4, I4 at their ends. The side arms I3, I3 are formed with the rearwardly struck resilient fingers I7, I! which are adapted to be resiliently engaged with the outer surfaces of the respective covers I8, I 8 of a book and to resiliently grip said covers when the page-holding device is engaged on the top edges of the covers in the manner shown in Figure 5.

Secured to the portion I5 of the long leg I2 of the member II between each of the arms l3, I3

and the short leg I 8 of the member l I is a spaced pair of hinge sleeves 20, and rotatably engaged in each pair of hinge -sleeves 20,20 is a shaft member 2i extending parallel to the short leg-I 6. Each shaft member 2| is formed at its outer -end with a curved arm 22 extending in aplane transverse to the axisof the shaft member 2| and curved inwardly toward theplane of thelong leg I2, as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5. Secured to the end of each arm 22 is a resilient cap 240i rubber or similar elastic, deformable, friction material. Integrally formed on the inner end of each shaft member 2| is the lever arm 25 "extending in a plane transverse to the axis oftheshaft 2I and spaced angularly in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, by a small angle from the associated arm 22. Each arm '25 is provided at its end with a handle 2% extending at right angles to the arm 25, the respective handles 26, 26 being axially aligned when their associated page-engaging arins 22are in similar positions.

Each shaft member 2| is integrally formed between its supporting sleeve-elements 2U, 20 with a loop portion28 which is angularly spaced clock wise, as viewed in Figure 2, from the associated page-engaging member 22 by a small angle similar to the angular spacing of the associated handle arm 25. Each loop portion 28 is engaged by the resilient depending arm 29 of a leaf spring 30 which is secured to the short leg I6 immediately above the loop portion 28, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the corner portion of the long leg I2 being formed with respective slots 3|, 32 and the leaf spring 38 being engaged through the slots in the manner shown in Figure 4, said leaf spring being generally U-shaped and having its upper arm lockingly engaged with the short leg I5, and having its lower resilient arm 29 engaging the associated p portion 28.

In using the device, the respective side arms I 3, I3 are engaged along the inside surface of the covers I8, I8 of a book, said arms straddling the bound ends of the pages in the manner shown in Figure 5, and the gripping arms I1, I! resiliently engaging the outer surfaces of the covers l8, IS. The pages of the book are held in open positions by the respective resilient ends 24 of the arms 22, the pages being held in open positions by the biasing action of the resilient leaf spring arm. When it is desired to release the pages, it is merely necessary to rotate the handle member 26 upwardly, as viewed in Figure 5, whereby the arms 22 are lifted, as for example, to the dotted line positions thereof shown in Figure 2, releasing the pages and allowing the pages to be turned.

It will be noted from Figure 2 that the loop portions 28 may be rotated beyond dead center positions when they are moved to their page-releasing positions, whereby the spring arms 29 hold said loop portions in positions wherein the handle arms 25, 25 abut the edge of the flange l6 and the cap elements 24 of the arms 22 are raised above the top edges of the pages of the book, allowing the pages to be freely turned. When the pages have been turned to their desired positions, the pages may be held by rotating the handle members 26, 26 downwardly from the dotted line position thereof shown in Figure 2 past the dead center positions of the loop elements 28, whereupon the spring arms 29 exert a spring-clamping action on the page-holding arms 22, 22 and cause the friction tips 24 of said page-holding arms to resiliently engage the pages to prevent the pages from turning.

While a specific embodiment of an improved page-holding device for a book has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A page holding device for a book comprising a generally L-shaped plate member and including a long leg and a short leg, spaced side arms projecting from the free end of said long leg, a resilient finger extending longitudinally and rearwardly of each of said side arms and connected to the adjacent side arm, a page engaging arm extending longitudinally and forwardly of said long leg adjacent to each of said side arms and hingedly connected intermediate its ends to the portion of said long leg between said short leg and the adjacent side arm, one end of each of said page engaging arms having a page engaging means, a handle on the other end of each of said page engaging arms for effecting the hinged movement of the latter, and a pair of spaced leaf springs extending through said long leg and each having one end dependingly carried by said short leg and having the other end engageable with the complemental part of the intermediate portion of the adjacent page engaging arm for biasing the latter toward the plane of said long leg.

2. A page holding device for a book comprising a generally L-shaped plate member including a long leg and a short leg, spaced side arms projecting from the free end of said long leg, a resilient finger extending longitudinally and rearwardly of each of said side arms and connected to the adjacent side arm, a pair of spaced hinge sleeves on the portion of said long leg between said short leg and the adjacent side arm, a page engaging arm extending longitudinally and forwardly of said long leg adjacent each of said side arms and having the intermediate portion hingedly connected to the adjacent pair of hinge sleeves, one end of each of said page engaging arms having a page engaging means, a handle on the other end of each of said page engaging arms for effecting the hinged movement of the latter, and a pair of spaced leaf springs extending through said long leg and each having one end dependingly carried by said short leg and having the other end engageable with the complemental part of the intermediate portion of the adjacent page engaging arm between said hinge sleeves for biasing the latter toward the plane of said long leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 358,072 Rivers Feb. 22, 1887 635,850 Hale Oct. 31, 1899 985,692 OHara Feb. 28, 1911 1,762,686 Hayashi June 10, 1930 1,865,241 Dock June 28, 1932 2,505,590 Steele Apr. 25, 1950 

